Linking University Mathematics Classroom Environment to Student Achievement: The Mediation of Mathematics Beliefs

• In Event: Personal and Social Factors in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This study examined the relationships between university mathematics classroom environment, mathematics beliefs and achievement in the context of Chinese mainland. Mathematics beliefs as a type of affect in mathematics learning, including mathematics efficacy and conceptions, were examined as mediators. Based on the analyses of a sample of 1443 undergraduate students from a Chinese university, the study not only showed that mathematics classroom environment predicted both affective and cognitive outcomes, but also confirmed the mediating roles of mathematics beliefs. Specifically, classroom environment fostered students’ cohesive conceptions and efficacy in sequence, which further improved their mathematics achievement. In contrast, learning difficulty led to students’ fragmented conceptions and deteriorated their efficacy, which in turn impaired their achievement. Implications of the study are discussed.

Authors

• Hongbiao Yin, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Lian Shi, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Winnie Wing Yi Tam, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Genshu Lu, Xi'an Jiaotong University